< Jezekiel 1 >
1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, that I was in the midst of the captivity by the river of Chobar; and the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
2 On the fifth day of the month; this was the fifth year of the captivity of king Joakim.
In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,
3 And the word of the Lord came to Jezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans, by the river of Chobar; and the hand of the Lord was upon me.
The word of Yhwh came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of Yhwh was there upon him.
4 And I looked, and, behold, a sweeping wind came from the north, and a great cloud on it, and [there was] brightness round about it, and gleaming fire, and in the midst of it as it were the appearance of amber in the midst of the fire, and brightness in it.
And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 And in the midst as it were the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; the likeness of a man was upon them.
Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6 And each one [had] four faces, and each one [had] four wings.
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
7 And their legs were straight; and their feet were winged, and [there were] sparks, like gleaming brass, and their wings were light.
And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
8 And the hand of a man was under their wings on their four sides.
And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9 And the faces of them four turned not when they went; they went everyone straight forward.
Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10 And the likeness of their faces was the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right of the four; and the face of a calf on the left of the four; and the face of an eagle to the four.
As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11 And the four had their wings spread out above; each one [had] two joined to one another, and two covered their bodies.
Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And each one went straight forward: wherever the spirit was going they went, and turned not back.
And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13 And in the midst of the living creatures [there was] an appearance as of burning coals of fire, as an appearance of lamps turning among the living creatures; and the brightness of fire, and out of the fire came forth lightning.
As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 And I looked, and, behold, the four [had each] one wheel on the ground near the living creatures.
Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16 And the appearance of the wheels was as the appearance of beryl: and the four had one likeness: and their work was as it were a wheel in a wheel.
The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 They went on their four sides: they turned not as they went;
When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18 neither did their backs [turn]: and they were high: and I beheld them, and the backs of them four were full of eyes round about.
As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures lifted themselves off the earth, the wheels were lifted off.
And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Wherever the cloud happened to be, there was the spirit ready to go: the wheels went and were lifted up with them; because the spirit of life was in the wheels.
Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 When those went, [the wheels] went; and when those stood, [the wheels] stood; and when those lifted themselves off the earth, they were lifted off with them: for the spirit of life was in the wheels.
When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 And the likeness over the heads of the living creatures was as a firmament, as the appearance of crystal, spread out over their wings above.
And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23 And their wings were spread out under the firmament, reaching one to the other; two [wings] to each, covering their bodies.
And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
24 And I heard the sound of their wings when they went, as the sound of much water: and when they stood, their wings were let down.
And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an army: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And lo! a voice from above the firmament
And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26 that was over their head, [there was] as the appearance of a sapphire stone, [and] the likeness of a throne upon it: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as an appearance of a man above.
And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as it were the resemblance of amber from the appearance of the loins and upwards, and from the appearance of the loins and under I saw an appearance of fire, and the brightness thereof round about.
And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow when it is in the cloud in days of rain, so was the form of brightness round about.
As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Yhwh. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.